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Recruitment · head to head

Factorial vs Workday

Factorial logo

Factorial

Recruitment

HR software that employees love

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Workday logo

Workday

HR

Enterprise cloud applications for finance and HR

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Factorial has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Factorial no published tier names or feature-based pricing breakdown; Workday high implementation costs equal to or exceeding annual software fees
  • They diverge on capability: Factorial covers HR Management, Workday covers Human capital management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Factorial and Workday actually diverge.

Attributes where Factorial and Workday differ
AttributeFactorialWorkday
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidCloud/Web
CategoryRecruitmentHR
Founded20162005

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Factorial

  • HR Management
  • Time Off
  • Time Tracking
  • Documents
  • Performance
  • Recruiting
  • Shift Management
  • Google Workspace

Only in Workday

  • Human capital management
  • Financial management
  • Planning
  • Analytics
  • Time tracking
  • Talent management
  • Procurement
  • Salesforce

Both cover

  • Payroll
  • Slack

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Factorial

  • Managing employee records, onboarding and offboardingnot Workday
  • Tracking time off, attendance and shiftsnot Workday
  • Running recruitment and performance reviews alongside HR datanot Workday

Workday

  • HR managementnot Factorial
  • Financial planningnot Factorial
  • Workforce planningnot Factorial
  • Compliancenot Factorial
  • Analyticsnot Factorial

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Factorial

  • No published tier names or feature-based pricing breakdown
  • Pricing customization requires sales consultation

Workday

  • High implementation costs equal to or exceeding annual software fees
  • Long deployment timelines (12-18 months standard) before ROI
  • Steep per-employee pricing at enterprise scale ($408-504 PEPM)
  • Limited pre-built templates and customization; often requires extensive configuration
  • Requires significant IT and change management resources during implementation

Pricing, plan by plan

Factorial

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic HR
    • Time Off
    • Documents
  • Business$5/month
    • All Free features
    • Payroll
    • Performance

Workday

On request
  • Small Business$undefined/month
    • Core HR
    • Payroll
    • Time tracking
  • Medium Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Full HCM suite
    • Financial management
    • Advanced analytics
  • Large Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Complete platform
    • Custom configurations
    • Dedicated support

Which should you pick?

Choose Factorial if

  • You need hr management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want time off.
Factorial review

Choose Workday if

  • You need human capital management.
  • You work on Cloud/Web.
  • You also want financial management.
Workday review

Questions people ask

Is Factorial or Workday better?
Neither clearly leads. Factorial starts at Free and Workday at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Factorial or Workday?
Factorial has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Factorial and On request for Workday.
Does Factorial or Workday run on more platforms?
Factorial runs on Web, Ios, Android. Workday runs on Cloud/Web.
Can I use Factorial for free?
Yes. Factorial has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Workday starts at On request.
What is Factorial best used for?
Factorial is most often used for managing employee records, onboarding and offboarding, tracking time off, attendance and shifts, running recruitment and performance reviews alongside hr data. Of those, managing employee records, onboarding and offboarding and tracking time off, attendance and shifts are not what Workday is typically brought in for.
What can Factorial do that Workday cannot?
Factorial covers HR Management, Time Off, Time Tracking, Documents. Workday covers Human capital management, Financial management, Planning, Analytics. Both handle Payroll, Slack.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Factorial: What is Factorial's starting price?

Factorial starts at $8 per month per user. The company offers modular pricing where customers select features across categories including time management, talent management, finance management, and IT management.

Source
Workday: What is Workday GO and what market is it designed for?

Workday GO is a product designed for small and midsize organizations, bringing together HR and finance solutions with transparent pricing and fast activation in 30 to 60 days. It includes HCM, benefits, payroll, talent, and more at a lower price point than standard Workday.

Source
Factorial: Can I customize my Factorial plan?

Yes. Factorial offers customizable plans for all businesses and budgets. A specialist will design a plan based on specific business needs. All plans include the Factorial Core platform with employee directory, onboarding/offboarding, payslip distribution, legal e-signature, and custom notifications.

Source
Workday: What is Workday Skills Cloud and how does it fit into HCM?

Workday Skills Cloud is an intelligent skills foundation built into Workday HCM. It is described as the world's most open intelligent skills foundation and fuels data-driven talent strategies across recruiting, learning, and workforce planning.

Source
Workday: Does Workday include payroll and benefits management?

Yes. Workday HCM includes benefits administration and payroll capabilities as part of its core suite. Global payroll processing is available across multiple countries and tax jurisdictions.

Source
Workday: What is the typical pricing model for Workday HCM?

Workday HCM uses per-employee (PEPM) annual subscription pricing. Companies at scale typically pay $34-42 PEPM. Enterprise organizations with 5,000+ employees typically pay $408-504 per employee annually. Pricing decreases with larger commitments and longer contract terms.

Source
Workday: How long does Workday implementation typically take?

Standard implementations are lengthy, often taking 12-18 months. Workday GO promises faster activation in 30-60 days. Implementation costs typically equal 100-150% of the first year's software subscription fees.

Source
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